"The Jungle Book" - MooseTreats Style

As pretty as cakes can be on the outside, nothing is more disappointing than biting into a piece of cake that resembles stale cardboard.

Today's goal: fill, stack, crumb coat, and cover cakes in fondant.

Step 1: Assemble your filling ingredients.  I have here blueberries sliced in half, strawberries at a medium dice, cherries roughly chopped, and finely grated lime zest.

Step 2: After slicing your cake in half top with whipped topping (holds up better than real whipped cream), to this layer I added the blueberries, strawberries, and lime.  Add a layer of cake, repeat for up to 4 layers of cake with 3 layers of filling

Step 3: Level off the top of the cake and put a thin coat of buttercream frosting, also known as "crumb coating"

Step 4: Cover with fondant (forgot to take pictures while I was doing this process, it was 6am and I had not had my coffee yet)

Step 5: Stack your layers, add decorations, and admire your work.

***Next multi-level cake will come with instructions on how to stack tiers***

Here are some close-ups of my critters.  The animals are all made from marzipan, leaves and birthday lettering on "wood planks" were made from fondant.

Lion                              Monkey   

Tiger                             Giraffe

 Zebra/Hippo                          Elephant/Alligator

 And with that, I wish my adorable "niece" a very very Happy 1st Birthday!!!!!!

Fondant

So how often have you seen a gorgeous cake that looks like it belongs in a magazine? You snap photos of it, admire it, tell all your friends to come check out this amazing culinary creation.  Then it's cut it, it's served before you on a  plate, you pick up your fork and bite into the shiny exterior and promptly have to spit it back out?  That, my friends, is what we call fondant.

But NO MORE!  I give unto you a fondant recipe that tastes as good as it looks!

Step 1: Gather your supplies

Step 2: Sprinkle 1 TBS gelatin over 1/4 cup cold water, let it sit for 2 minutes.  Microwave for 30 sec.  Add 1 tsp. vanilla (I like the clear imitation variety for this - only this, I do not advocate for such in regular baked goods), 1/2 cup light corn syrup, and 1 TBS glycerine (this can be found at a store like Michael's or your local cake supply shop - do NOT use anything you would find in the health & hygiene aisle of your local Target), stir until clear.  Microwave this for 15-30sec. and stir.

Step 3: Add 1 1/2 lbs of confectioners sugar into a bowl, make a hole in the middle

Step 4: Add the liquid into the middle

Step 5: Stir with a spoon until you have a sticky mass. Then dump onto the counter with an additional 1/2lb of confectioners sugar, knead until smooth and moldable.

Step 6: Knead in 1/2 tsp. vegetable shortening

Step 7: Store tightly wrapped until you are ready to use the fondant

Humidity is not fondant's friend, so refrigeration is not generally a great idea.

Pigs in a Mud Puddle

What better way to say Happy Birthday to good friends than by creating pigs in a puddle of mud for them!

Contained within this luscious puddle of chocolatey goodness is a chocolate cake with a chocolate-cherry frosting and chopped up cherries.  Of course, surrounded by a plethora of KitKats.  What more could you ask for???

More birthday cakes coming soon!